


To Try the Cake

by fandramatics



Series: Pride Prompts [2]
Category: Mrs. America (2020)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24506434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandramatics/pseuds/fandramatics
Summary: Someone's got a flat tire in front of Alice Macray's house, she just can't believe who it is.----June 2nd. Cake
Relationships: Gloria Steinem & Alice Macray, Gloria Steinem/Alice Macray
Series: Pride Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769941
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	To Try the Cake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PaulsxnS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaulsxnS/gifts).



Alice Macray was a woman of faith, she believed God did right, He did good, He was Love in its purest form, and He did everything for a reason. Yet, she had to stop herself from raising her eyes to the beautiful blue skies and asking ‘Really? Here? Of all places?’

Alice Macray stood at her doorway, and in front of her stood no other than Gloria Steinem with a sideway smile, her hands in her pockets, and slightly risen perfect eyebrows.

“I know it’s too much to ask, but…” said Steinem.

Alice blinked, searched her mind for what the other woman had asked her. She shook her head, “No, no, it’s fine,” she stepped aside almost stumbling on her own feet, “Please.”

“Thank you so much,” Gloria replied putting her hands together as if in prayer.

A sign of Alice’s Lord and Savior used by the woman Phyllis had taught her to despise, the same woman she had seen speaking to other women in a kind enough manner to make her forget who the enemy was.

Gloria Steinem, somehow, smelled even better than before.

“Come with me,” Alice caught herself saying after she closed her front door, she strode as if the house wasn’t hers, as if she hadn’t lived here with her husband and children most of their lives.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Steinem’s soft voice said.

Alice spun, her smile wide, “Thank you,” she stepped into the living room, extended her hand to the telephone, “There you go, take your time,” she tilted her head as the woman entered her field of vision, “Would like some cake?”

“Ah,” Gloria paused, blinking. What a smile the woman had. “Yes, I’d love some. Thank you?”

“Coffee?”

“Oh, no, please, I’m already imposing enough”

“Nonsense,” said Macray, “I’ll be right back with you.”

Alice wasn’t sure how she made it to the kitchen without her legs failing her. She held herself on the counter. 

Gracie entered the room, wide-eyed, she mouthed something,  _ ‘Is that Gloria Steinem?’ _

Her mother bit her lip and nodded.

Gracie started mouthing again,  _ ‘She smells so good!’ _

Alice couldn’t help it,  _ ‘Exactly!’ _

The young woman shifted on her feet, crossed her arms. “What are you going to do?” she whispered, approaching her mother as the older woman cut a slice of cake.

“She just needs to make a phone call, she’s got a flat tire,” said Macray.

“You know that if anyone hears about this, we--”

“I know,” Alice shot, “That’s why we’re not telling anyone. We’re helping someone. We’re good Christians, that’s what we do.”

Gracie gave her a nod, not too confident, but a nod anyway.

“Get the coffee,” Alice said as she organized cake, milk, cream, and sugar on a tray.

Careful and quiet steps were taken. The Macray ladies had it ready, Alice took a breath, and stood upright, she grabbed the tray and made her way to the living room, to Gloria Steinem.

Steinem sat on the armchair, her soft voice saying something to the telephone Alice ignored as soon as she heard the question ‘How much?’. She laid the tray at the center table, earned a huge smile and a mouthed ‘Thank you’ from Gloria.

She hung up, muttered something about tires, then tried the cake. She rose her eyes to Alice, covered her mouth to silence herself, did her best to swallow before she spoke, “You made this? This is wonderful.”

Macray’s face was warm all over, she had to find a comfortable spot on her seat again, “Please, I’m…” she brushed off.

“I’m being serious,” smiled Gloria, “This is really good.”

“I could write down the recipe, if you wanted,” it was out of her mouth so fast she almost missed it. She pressed her lips together, smiled, yet couldn’t help but search the other woman’s face.

“I’d love that, thank you so much!” the taller woman said before she had another bite.

Alice cleared her throat, “Don’t mention it.”

“Hm!” the other began, “I’ll be out of your hair soon, the mechanic says it’ll take him an hour, but I’ve called a friend, she’ll be here with her husband in twenty minutes to pick me up. I’m really sorry to bother.”

The housewife shook her head, held her hands together on her lap, “Not a bother at all.”

“I do remember you, you know?” confessed Gloria.

Alice wondered if the warmth around her was normal, “You do?”

“You wore that pretty dress in Houston, you were staying there with your friend,” Steinem said with a smile, “I know I mustn’t have been who you’d like to see at your doorstep.”

Macray gave a sideway smile, leaned forward, “May I ask you something?”

“Sure,” said the other.

“Why? Why fight for what you fight for?”

Gloria beamed, “You have a daughter, right?”

“Yes”

“I don’t want her to be drafted anymore than you do. In fact, I wouldn’t want my son to be drafted either, but if my daughter wanted to fight for her country, I wanted her to have the right to do it.”

Alice was silent, she chewed on her lower lip, the thoughts in her head, the questions she wanted to ask. One escaped her lips, “Why didn’t you ever debate Phyllis Schlafly?”

Steinem blinked, “She’s not my enemy, she’s a woman. What she believes in doesn’t concern me, I’m fighting for my rights, for your rights, and hers as well. Women shouldn’t fight women, that doesn’t help our cause.”

Her hand held the other tighter, “I have a friend, her husband can be… Difficult,” Alice said, “I believe in marriage, but what she’s going through… It shouldn’t be like that. I--”

The doorbell made Macray jump on her seat, she shut her eyes tight, sighed, then smiled, “I’m sorry for that. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t worry,” Gloria rose, “must be my friend.”

Alice went for the door when she returned a couple was with her, they smiled at Gloria and she smiled back.

“I’ll be right out with you,” Steinem said, giving the woman a nod. She approached Macray, touched her arm, met her eyes. A deep breath, she produced a piece of paper, a number scribbled on it, “I’ll have to check the number I have, but I know someone who can help your friend. Give me a call tomorrow afternoon, I’ll be home then, I’ll get you the number,” she gave Alice’s arm a gentle squeeze, “Thank you for having me,” she offered her hand, “I’m sorry, I never got your name.”

“Alice,” she replied, “Alice Macray.”

Gloria smiled, “Call me, Alice. I’ll be happy to help. And you need to tell me the secret to your cake.”

Alice grinned, “I will.”

“Nice seeing you again,” she said, headed towards the door.

“Likewise,” Macray said. 

The door closed behind Gloria and her friends. The house became silent, a scent lingering in the air.

The Eagles came over that afternoon, Pamela stopped beside her friend, “Did you find out what that perfume was?” she whispered, inched closer to Alice, in an even lower voice she said, “You smell like Gloria Steinem.”

Alice had to hold back a nervous giggle, Pamela frowned but giggled back.

“You won’t believe the day I’ve had,” said Alice.

Her friend’s eyes widened, “What happened?”

Macray laughed, she had to sit down. The fit earned her glances from the group, Rosemary had a risen eyebrow.

Phyllis came from the kitchen, “Alice, what perfume is this? It’s wonderful.”

Alice’s belly ached as her laughter got harder, tears spilling from her eyes, lungs failing her. She was glad when Pamela nervously joined her.

Rosemary would give her weird glances for weeks, but, at the moment, it was worth it.


End file.
